The following story contains spoilers for The Pitt season 2 episode 6, “12:00 P.M.”
THERE ARE TWO things that should come as no surprise about the sixth episode of The Pitt‘s second season, “12:00 P.M.” The first is that it’s pretty easily the best episode of season 2 so far, several storylines humming along with the momentum that the whole season has been building toward, culminating in a big, sweeping emotional catharsis at the very end. The second is that it marks the first episode of The Pitt to be directed by series star, executive producer, and writer Noah Wyle.
If anyone knows what makes The Pitt work at its very best, its Wyle, who not only plays the Emmy-winning lead role of Dr. Robby, but has tons of experience with this kind of medical drama going back to his days on ER. He knows that, when executed right, it’s the kind of show where the characters can feel like our friends. And he knows that losing any of those friends can feel like a gut punch, hence the very concluding moments of “12:00 P.M.”
But he also knows that a show like this can’t be all levity. Wyle isn’t the sole writer on The Pitt, and a lot of credit goes to building the whole season out. But when there’s an episode with moments as heavy as “12:00 P.M.,” it helps to have some lighter cases to help balance things out.
That’s why we get a subplot this week that introduces Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball) to a man named Rocky who’s in some serious discomfort. Now, for this subplot to make any sense, it’s important for us to remember that season 2 of The Pitt takes place entirely on July 4th. And so it makes sense, then, that our new friend Rocky has just won a hot dog eating contest, putting a dramatic 36 dogs into his belly. And it also makes sense that afterwards he’s not feeling too hot.
Throughout the course of the episode—with so much else going on—we repeatedly cut back to Dr. Langdon caring for Rocky. And, hey, good news: Rocky is on his feet and on his way out of the hospital within the hour. It’s a fun bit of The Pitt, and something that feels quite likely when it comes to 4th of July medical mishaps.
But how would something like this really go?
An ER Doctor Reacts to The Pitt Season 2, Episode 6’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Gone Wrong
We loved the way The Pitt explored a hot dog Eating Contest champion’s victory gone wrong. But for a deeper dive, we wanted to check with an expert. So we once again reached out to Dr. Robert Glatter, the Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital, an experienced ER doctor, and a member of the MH Advisory Board. Dr. Glatter reviewed the hot dog-adjacent scenes in The Pitt season 2, episode 6, and let us know what’s what.
Dr. Glatter noted that professional eaters in general put themselves broadly at risk of major gastrointestinal and metabolism issues, due to the extreme stress that the endeavor puts on a stomach in a short period of time. And that’s just one aspect of things.
“Frequently eating large, high‑calorie, high‑fat and salty foods is a major stress to the heart, liver, and kidneys and can be a contributor to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes over time—even if some top competitors appear lean while they are active and competing,” he explains, adding that the high volume and speed of chewing can also create issues in the skull and jaw.
The Pitt didn’t make it particularly clear whether Rocky was an actual professional eater or an amateur trying his hand at a competition. If he was the latter, Dr. Glatter says, he’d be putting himself at even greater health risk.
“Amateur participants face even greater risks because they don’t develop the gradual physiological adaptations that professional competitors acquire through long term training for such events,” he says. “Without these adaptations, attempting to rapidly consume large quantities of food significantly increases the risk of rupture or perforation of the stomach, aspiration of stomach contents, and blockage of the upper airway (windpipe).”
As Dr. Langdon alluded to in the episode, hot dogs in particular are a super salty and processed food, which also cause major risks with ailments like colorectal cancer and more.
There are some ways that someone could “train” before a hot dog Eating Contest, however, to avoid risk. That includes gradually building the strength of a stomach up to adapt to an excess volume of food (rather than a sudden attempt at such a high volume). Drinking lots of water and electrolytes in general would be essential before and during an event. “It’s also important to only eat foods that are low in fat and fiber before a competition to speed up emptying of the stomach and reduce abdominal pain and distention of the stomach itself,” Dr. Glatter explains.
He also clarifies that while it would be possible for Rocky to get in and out of the ER in an hour, it’s not particularly likely—he would need to undergo a number of tests looking for signs of a perforated stomach or esophagus among other things.
The biggest preventative measure when it comes to hot dog Eating Contest-related sickness, however, is to just not participate in them at all.
“It’s critical to emphasize that competitive (speed) eating is highly dangerous,” Dr. Glatter says. “The safest approach is to avoid participation altogether, especially for untrained individuals.”
Evan is the culture editor for Men’s Health, with bylines in The New York Times, MTV News, Brooklyn Magazine, and VICE. He loves weird movies, watches too much TV, and listens to music more often than he doesn’t.
